Coming at ya

Playmaker returns to Beijing to deliver a double helping of their power tunes. The four-piece outfit are based in London, where they have built up a strong reputation for their live performances. The band's last single topped the Storm Radio listeners chart for five weeks.

The British rockers will be backed by Ziyo (pictured), GALA and Qingdao's Dama Llamas.

Ziyo started in 2004, when the leading female vocalist Helen walked into a guitar shop and was conned into guitar lessons by lead guitarist Da Ming. Two lessons in, they both came to the conclusion that Helen had no real talent as a guitarist, and Da Ming had no great patience for teaching. But they managed to salvage the relationship by forming a band, later recruiting Mao Mao, whom Da Ming had met in a subway underpass only months before with similar dreams of rock stardom. Mao Mao recruited Zhang Jie, a former bandmate in a very briefly formed death metal band, and Ziyo was born.

They ran from rough reggae, to sloppy jazz, to folk songs, to punk rock, to Emo, and even some nu metal.

9 pm, on March 15 at 2 Kolegas. Inside the Drive-In Theater, east of the Kempinski Hotel. 8196-4820. March 16 MAO Livehouse. 111 Guloudong Dajie (at Nan/Beiluoguxiang) 6402 5080. 40 yuan.

(China Daily 03/15/2008 page6)